Thursday, March 19, 1998
Students seek funds for visit
USAC Proposal hopes to equip South Africa with college retention
programs, further develop UCLA internationally
By Dennis Lim
Daily Bruin Contributor
Officials in USAC have asked the administration for roughly
$12,000 to cover the cost of a proposed trip to South Africa this
April.
The trip would be the first step in a program called "Project
South Africa" to develop retention programs in South African
colleges.
"The goal of the program would be to help student governments in
South Africa develop retention programs of their own," said Chad
Williams, the African Student Union president and one of the
signers of the proposal.
"The Campus Retention Committee here at UCLA is considered the
best in the nation," he said. "We want to help (student leaders in
Africa) develop their own retention programs to mirror ours."
If the proposal is approved, the group going to South Africa
would consist of five to seven people, with members from the CRC,
USAC, the administration and the Daily Bruin.
The representatives would travel to the Guanteng Province, the
area of South Africa which includes Johannesburg, where much of the
struggle against apartheid has taken place.
The petition comes at a time when certain administrators are
also planning a trip to South Africa. Their trip, planned for next
week, has a more exploratory goal than the student trip.
The administrators going on the trip hope to help the South
African government develop career development services. Invitations
will be offered to South Africans to come study at UCLA, and
administrators on the trip will help train workers there.
In contrast, the student trip will focus more on the development
of South African intellectual institutions.
"Currently, 70 percent of South Africa is black and only a small
portion of that group can get into college. We want to change those
figures," said Darnell Grisby, USAC general representative.
Anika Johnson, another signer of the proposal, claimed that the
conditions for a trip to South Africa were perfect.
"It’s the right time in South Africa’s history and we have
motivated people who want to do this. If we do this now we can
create a link between our two countries that will improve both
societies," Johnson said.
According to organizers, the trip could bring UCLA to the
forefront of international politics.
"Chancellor Carnesale has declared he wants to make UCLA a great
university – this is a great way to do that. This could develop
UCLA internationally," Grisby said.
By developing an international program like this, UCLA could
become comparable to universities like Harvard, Grisby
continued.
Political science professor Edmond Keller, considered an expert
on African politics and one of the administrators going on the trip
next week, agreed.
With free elections coming this May, as well as its human and
material capital, South Africa is at a critical juncture, Keller
contends.
"UCLA has a great reputation when it comes to international
relations, but trips like this and developing relations with South
Africa now could improve our reputation greatly," Keller said.
Project South Africa will include the creation of retention
programs, a text book drive and assistance in how to start college
newspapers.
Future trips to South Africa for the project are planned on a
regular basis, though no dates or intervals have been
established.